~Guest Post~ by Allison Rose

Allison Rose - Author of Tick
The Girl and the Book — Allison's blog

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Hello lovely readers! It’s a pleasure to have my words read by you, from all sides of the globe! I am continually amazed at the power of a story and how it surpasses oceans and cultures. In that respect (and many others) I must thank Sam for offering me the priceless opportunity to be a guest blogger on her website!

First, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Allison Rose, born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area. I have always had a close relationship to the city that covers 500 square miles and 80 different neighborhoods. It is an eclectic place, populated by millions of transplants from all over the globe, all determined to follow their dreams, whether or not they have what it takes to survive here. There’s a running joke in Hollywood, that when someone tells you they’re an actor, you ask “in which restaurant?” I lived and worked in Hollywood for several years, and let me tell you, it’s not always a glittery and dream-filled place; it is a dog-eat-dog world.

Hidden Huntress (The Malediction Trilogy #2) by Danielle L. Jensen

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

When I picked up Stolen Songbird mid June last year (2014), I was swept away in the story of a curse, trolls, magic and a great cast of characters who quickly captured my heart. This book swiftly landed in my favorites list and has always burned in the back of my mind. My review of Stolen Songbird can be found here for anyone interested.

When I discovered the sequel Hidden Huntress was out on Netgalley, I was absolutely thrilled. And I have to say, it does not disappoint! In fact, it blew me away..

~ Cover Reveal ~ Pull by Anne Riley

How exciting to be announcing Reading Nook NZ's first Cover reveal!

 I'm not sure which is more exciting.. The amazing art work for this cover or the actual plot summary of the book (which can be found below).  The 'Time Travelling' phenomena is one of my favourites to read about and I'm wringing my hands in anticipation of Pull being released into the wild.

Without Further Ado:

~ Review & Give Away ~ Tick by Allison Rose

Tick by Allison Rose My rating: 4 of 5 stars (4.5 stars)

Tick is the debut novel of Allison Rose. It is classed as a YA/Dystopian however in my opinion this book crosses more genres and can also be classify as a contemporary, psy or thriller.

The main character is Jo, who has an incredible artistic talent but also a dark secret. She has visions of brutally killing people. And there is no pick as to who it will be. She is trying to avoid getting noticed and 'adjusted' by drones patrolling an unstable America, whilst trying to find her direction in the world.

Slowly, her life starts falling apart and when one of her visions sends her over the edge, she is thrown from a bad into an outright disastrous situation.

Treasure, Darkly (Treasure Chronicles, #1) by Jordan Elizabeth

Treasure, Darkly by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
2.5 really

It started out so promising. The author seemed to be on to something, writing a book that crosses Western with Steampunk some Paranomal, Action and some potential Romance. Made even more interesting by the fact that she has chosen a male lead (unusual for a female author). Or so I gathered from the intriguing short that accompanies this book. Unfortunately it fell flat and sunk like a river stone. The best thing about Treasure Darkly is most likely it's cover. Let's be honest, that cover is a gorgeous piece of art.

The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars (and 80% frustration)
Copy supplied by Netgalley in exchage for a honest review.

Still reeling from The Winner s Curse, I had the next instalment The Winner’s Crime waiting for me, which was a very good thing as the first book ends on a very sad note.

This book picks up shortly after the ending of the last instalment. We get faced with the aftermath of Kestrel’s decision to bargain with the emperor.

Kestrel is now betrothed to the crown price and he is just as unhappy about the engagement as she is. To top it off, she has not heard a word from Arin after the ‘peace offering’ she has given herself up for, which Arin views as betrayal.

When a royal summons pressures him to come to court, the two have to try and find a means of understanding. Kestrel can not jeopardize her efforts to keep peace and is faced with the horrible decision of lying to keep them both safe as the Emperor starts to question her loyalty to the crown and country.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars

For the longest time The Winner's Curse has been showing on my E-book shelf, and when I saw the sequel The Winner's Crime I could not resist putting my hand up to review it. I completely glanced over the fact I had not actually read the first.

Consequently, I started reading, and came to the conclusion that I was seriously missing something and I had better skim the previous installment to refresh my memory. Only to find out I had NOT in fact read it. Queue, me in a panic as my deadline was looming and now I had 2 books and reviews to finish.

Lark Rising (Guardians of Tarnec, #1) by Sandra Waugh

Lark Rising by Sandra Waugh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lark Rising is a cross between a High Fantasy and YA genre with a lovely romance aspect. This sounds relatively simple, however it is a hard thing to pull off. I have previously read some horrid attempts and I’m glad to say that this has hit the nail on the head for me.

There are not many authors that create such world building. Lark Rising takes you on an intriguing quest (yes, your typical Fantasy cliché) and sprinkles it with a budding romance, without getting tacky, overburdened or an altered version of all of the above.

The Pledge (The Pledge #1) by Kimberly Derting

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Pledge is an interesting combination of a YA Romance and Fantasy. I have seen a few references to a Dystopian theme fly by and even though there are some minor hints throughout the book, that it is a modern civilization thrown back into another era, I feel that people who are expecting a Dystopian will be left wanting more from this book.

It is written in alternate POV's and we mainly follow Charlie who is 17 and lives in a 'kingdom' segregated on language. In this world the language you speak dictates the social status of your family; and her family falls somewhat in the middle class.